Freelance Art Producer Feature: Amy Shaw

The advertising world is always changing. Clients always want their next campaign to be ahead of trends and stand out amongst a sea of creative content. The art producer role is pivotal in the success of projects, and behind every campaign is an art producer meticulously crafting the perfect atmosphere, sourcing talent, and ensuring every detail falls seamlessly into place. They are the invisible hands that turn imaginative concepts into tangible works of art, serving as the vital bridge between advertisers and photographers.

Oftentimes, agencies will work with freelance art producers who have the challenging task to not only jumping into a new campaign, but a new agency, often working with creatives and producers for the first time. They must be nimble and adaptable in order to actualize the vision of a client. We created the site FreelanceArtProducer.com years ago, in an effort to make finding a freelancer easier, and also to help freelancers get their name out there to more agencies. As the end of the year approaches and agencies are looking for freelance work to complete quick end-of-year projects, we wanted to highlight some of the freelancers on our site and share their answers to questions about their work, trends in the industry and some of their favorite past projects. 

Our current feature is Amy Shaw. Amy is a producer specializing in still photography, broadcast television, digital and content creation for luxury and beauty brands. She’s also well-versed in the art of celebrity and social media influencer talent. She has traveled the world producing global campaigns for prestige brands including Jergens, Volvo Cars, Volkswagen, New Balance, Santander Bank, Progressive Insurance, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Carnival Cruise Lines and John Frieda Haircare. Amy’s campaigns have won multiple awards including a Cannes Lion, Clio, several International Advertising awards and Communications Arts awards. 

What inspired your transition to freelance? What factors influenced your decision to branch out independently?

A layoff from a big agency was the catalyst to go freelance. I quickly had a list of clients calling me for projects and I was amazed that I was working right off the bat after leaving the agency. The best time to freelance is often right when you leave a traditional agency, since you are top of mind with everyone in the industry, vendors and clients, alike.

What is your favorite part of the job?

I love the people and I love the craft. There is something so beautiful and exciting about creating something beautiful. The process of creating photography and art never ceases to feel exciting and new, even after years of projects.

Being a freelance art producer offers flexibility, but surely comes with its challenges. Can you share one major advantage and one challenge you've faced in your freelance journey?

The advantages are that you can say no to projects and have more control over what you do and do not work on. The challenges are the ups and downs of workflow.

What are your top strategies for forging fruitful collaborations with other creatives when you're freelancing?

I do a lot of coffees and meetings and calls where I can. I love hearing what other people are up to and everyone’s strategy to stay in touch, especially when so many agencies and clients are hybrid. Just like friendships, you have to keep reaching out.

How do you nurture relationships and stay connected with fellow art producers, especially in the freelance world?

Social media makes me feel very in touch with fellow art producers, even though often people’s careers have veered into different directions and paths. I have a core group from Arnold who I’m in touch with and most of my work connections are from that network, even people I worked with 10+ years ago.

If we were to ask your team or collaborators, how would they describe your work ethic and personality?

I have been described as someone with “almost frightening grit” in terms of my work ethic.

With numerous people to manage and projects on the go, what's your secret recipe for keeping everything in harmony and ensuring nothing falls through the cracks?

I get up very early in the morning and look through all of my notes from the day before. I keep obsessive numbers of lists and daily to-do’s. I check and re check my bullet list of production steps.

When you’re in a creative discussion, what specific attributes or qualities resonate with you the most in choosing talent?

It has always will be the way the person moves and if they look natural and relaxed on set and with others.

How do you reignite your creativity during downtime or when you're not on a project?

I’m a passionate gardener. I also am in the midst of a screenplay writing practice. I have an office in RI that I use as an art studio. Once an artist, always an artist.

With the industry's rapid shifts, how do you ensure you're always updated on the latest trends and practices?

I try not to stress too much about trends and instead focus on delivering a quality product that’s on time and way above creative and client expectations.